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An absolutely essential book for every modern football fan, about the development of Premier League tactics, published to coincide with 25 years of the competition.

Back in 1992, English football was stuck in the dark ages, emerging from a five-year ban from European competition. The game was physical, bruising and attritional, based on strength over speed, aggression over finesse. It was the era of the midfield general, reducers, big men up front and getting it in the mixer; 4-4-2 was the order of the day. Few teams experimented tactically.

And then, almost overnight, it all changed. The creation of the Premier League coincided with one of the most seismic rule changes in football history: the abolition of the back-pass. Suddenly defenders had no-get-out-of-jail-free card, goalkeepers had to be able to field and play the ball and the pace of the game quickened immeasurably. Tactics evolved dramatically, helped by an increased foreign influence.

The Mixer is the first book to delve deep into the tactical story of the Premier League, and take a long view of how the game has developed over the last quarter century. From Ferguson’s directness to Keegan’s relentlessly attacking Newcastle outfit, to Mourinho’s cagey, reactive Chelsea, all the way to Ranieri’s counter-attacking champions, The Mixer is one of the most entertaining, rich and knowledgeable football books ever written.

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Review

‘Thanks to his meticulous research and his focus on strategy, Mr Cox finds a fresh perspective on a story that football fans will think they already knew’ – The Economist

‘The Mixer, by Michael Cox is a very unusual football writer in that he specialises in the game as it’s actually played, rather than the gossip or folklore around it. The Mixer is a tactical history of the English Premier League, with telling anecdotes on every page. It’s deeply informed and a pleasure to read.’ – Financial Times

‘If you’re in mourning that the footie season is over, this is for you. Delving deep into the beautiful game, it’s a look back at how the sport has changed over the years. Nostalgia will hit as you’ll remember iconic matches, too’ – The Sun

‘Intelligently written. Impressively researched. Fascinatingly addictive. Michael Cox is like a cartographer, remapping the landscape of the Premier League so we see the contours of it afresh. That’s some feat.’– Duncan Hamilton, two-time winner of the William Hill Sports Book of the Year

‘Michael Cox provides brilliant tactical context to our favourite moments of Premier League nostalgia.The Mixer is as entertaining as a Wanchope dribble, with the authority of a Shearer finish and the panache of a Cantona celebration. And you may even learn to love Tony Pulis a little bit.’ – Ben Lyttleton, author of Twelve Yards: The Art & Psychology of the Perfect Penalty

‘This is more than the impeccably researched and authoritative account of the English game’s tactical evolution over the last quarter of a century you’d expect from a master of the genre. It is also packed with anecdotes and stories – some familiar, others far less so, a number of them hilarious – which give it flesh and ensure this book will be revisited many times, not just by those looking for imaginative and sometimes profound analysis, but by any football fan who enjoys a good tale well told.’ – Philippe Auclair, author of Cantona: The Rebel Who Would be King

About the Author

Michael Cox is one of the most respected football journalists working today and he has made his name through writing highly entertaining in-depth tactical analysis. He is the editor of Zonal Marking, a football blog dedicated to tactics, and writes regularly for the Guardian and ESPN. The Mixer is his first book.

Top customer reviews

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This insightful and often amusing look at tactics in the premier league era is my favourite football book of the past 5 years. It's written by Michael Cox, whose Zonal Marking website gave me my 'tactical awakening', as it were, and whose appearances on podcasts like the Totally Football Show and Guardian Football Weekly are always welcome. The book is chock full of funny anecdotes and sharp analysis. It has led me to have a grudging appreciation for several men who, as managers of rival clubs (I'm a poor impoverished Arsenal fan) I had previously discounted for various reasons. Ferguson, Benitez, Mourinho, even Sam Allardyce have sections devoted to them and for the most part are written about in a positive light. My only slight criticism is that the kindle version I read had several typos. Not enough to detract too much from the enjoyment, and I'm sure they can be ironed out in future versions, but it is worth mentioning.

Excellent. A wonderful summary of the Premier League (or 'Premiership' as I just can't stop calling it...) by an excellent writer who can explain tactics in a way that doesn't alienate anyone but similarly is in-depth enough for people who know what they're talking about.

The chapters on Man United's triumphs are a highlight (and I'm not a United fan), as is the Jose/Rafa rivalry section. The Leicester title winner season is beautifully described, and everything wraps itself up so well at the end.

For the first few chapters I found this journey through the tactical evolution of the Premier League to be enthralling. Reading about how, when you think about it, the back pass rule was at least as important as the creation of the Premier League itself was mind-expanding, and the discussion of how Bergkamp, Cantona, and Zola all had massive impacts on the game was wonderfully put.

But then the writer's style began to grate; it almost seemed towards the end as if the editor had fallen asleep. You will not find the tight editing of a Jonathan Wilson here, sadly, but rather repeated occasions of players being credited for their 'footballing intelligence', an over-reliance on the words 'wonderful' and 'bonkers', and clangers such as 'he took advantage of his height advantage.'

Shame really, because Cox is delightfully insightful, and his criticisms of the way teams played - and how their line-ups and tactics were misunderstood by the majority of fans - proved particularly eye-opening.

Brilliant stuff, lots of fascinating insights and tidbits regarding the evolution and tactics of the premier league and something i'll come back to again and again. Some great chapters on the early introduction of foreigners, before covering United's dominance (through Ferguson's tactical adaptations) and the teams that challenged them at the time - Keegan's Newcastle, Blackburn, The Invincibles etc. Goes all the way to Conte's triumph at Chelsea last season, but the book is especially great for reminding you of significant tactical switches from fondly remembered eras and also lots of footballers names we've all forgotten about (hello Tino Apsrilla!). If your a fan of the Zonal Marking website you'll be hooked.

This is the first book of this kind I’ve ever read and I’m thoroughly glad I did!Previously to this book I’ve only really read fantasy novels, Harry Potter series, lord of the rings and a song of ice and fire. So I’m not much of a reader, I’ve always had a love of football but I’ve never actually read any books about it. I heard about this book on a football podcast I was listening to a while ago and once I started reading it, I found I couldn’t put it down, it took me about 3 weeks to read from cover to cover, it probably shouldn’t take that long if you read a lot but I don’t and I’m a slow reader. But I was forever finding excuses to read it anywhere I could, it is thoroughly interesting and I was glued to the insight of the history of the premier league and will thoroughly recommend this book to anyone who even has a passing interest in football! A great buy

Very simply, this is a great book! I have been following English Football since 1994 and have enjoyed watching the skills of the players and I have marvelled at the spectacular goals. After reading this book, I will watch the English Premier League matches (and indeed all football) differently. The promotional leader/summary is accurate - each chapter delves into what were the major impacts on the EPL such as foreign players, tactics such as possession, pressing, tiki taka, the miracle of the Leicester win to name just a few. Overall, the author also provides an understanding as to why we now have a "World Championship of Managers" who are all imparting their wisdom in what is, arguably, the greatest football tournament in the world. There is a heavy use of numerical references to formations (4 3 3 etc) and it would have been great to be able to press a button and watch what was being explained with the help of match replays. In this respect, the book would make a great documentary series.

I thought I knew a bit about tactics but this was such an enticing and enlightening read about a passionate subject. The book is neatly broken up in to chapters covering the main changes that have been the biggest influences on the Premier League and these inspire you on to the next chapter each time. This isn't one for those who just like the highlights reels or can only handle the daily gossip of transfers and wags - this is for those who want to hear more about transitions, false 9s and geggenpressing.